WFP may call for global food aid MondayThe World Food Programme (WFP) is likely to make a global appeal for food aid on Monday for flood victims ahead of the United Nations 'flash appeal' to the international community for emergency aid to

City lowlanders miss trawlers of survivalThousands of desperate people in small boats set off for relief trawlers once they come in sight in the hope of finding something for their survival in the lowlands of Dhaka after weeks of devastating

US helicopter shot down in IraqEight people were killed and a US helicopter was shot down as US troops battled Shia Muslim militiamen in Iraq Thursday, while a suicide bombing and shoot-out outside a police station left another nine

Primary education suffers Tk 166cr in flood damageThe floods could cost the primary education sector over Tk 166 crore and the education sector as much as Tk 500 crore in damage to the infrastructure and educational materials, according to preliminary

India, Pakistan start demilitarisation talkThe defence secretaries of India and Pakistan yesterday held talks in the Indian capital on military de-escalation on Siachen Glacier, the world's highest and coldest battlefield, after a break of seven

Marooned but not brokenThey are very poor, their homes are submerged for weeks, crops damaged in the fields, daily income stopped, and still they are not ready to accept relief.

40pc Bangladeshis in Britain unemployedA British scheme offering temporary work visas to 10,000 Bangladeshis was criticised yesterday as "incomprehensible" by a conservative think-tank in London that focuses on immigration issues.

Only 6 out of 33 Islamic militants chargedBarguna police on Wednesday submitted charge sheet against only six of the 33 alleged Islamic militants who were arrested while taking arms training on June 30, 2004 in Barguna Sadar upazila.

Ex-UP chairman killed, 10 abductedCriminals yesterday in two separate incidents gunned down a former Union Parishad chairman and abducted 10 people in the district, police said.

Woman commits 'suicide', two killed in cityA housewife allegedly committed suicide at Ramna, unknown assailants stabbed dead a youth at Nakhalpara and a miscreant gunned down an illegal passport broker in Dhaka yesterday.

9 cops die in raid on Kashmir campNine Indian policemen were killed and eight injured in an attack on their camp by one or more Kashmiri militants in the summer capital of insurgency-hit Indian Kashmir, police said yesterday.

Women phone operators to feel the pinchThe regulatory order that has made submission of tax identification number (TIN) mandatory to subscribe international telephone connection will badly hurt the business of women telephone operators under

Cement industry bears the brunt of floodSqueezed by surplus production against falling consumption, the country's cement industry is now in a critical state as the current flooding has triggered a 45 percent sales drop of the key construction

Green Marketing starts product promotion at AgoraGreen Marketing Limited, a local company which markets kitchen cabinets and bedroom furniture made of high-density board, started a 10-day promotional campaign at Agora chain superstore at Rifles Square

Asia gunning for deep-sea oil, gasFailure to find enough oil and gas onshore is pushing energy-thirsty Asia further out to sea in search of more black gold despite the higher risks.

Global economic growth this year may cross 4.6pcGlobal economic growth this year could top the IMF's April forecast of 4.6 percent, despite a surge in oil prices to record levels, International Monetary Fund chief Rodrigo Rato said Wednesday.

WTO deal may help Americas trade talksA new agreement that puts world trade talks back on track could also revive negotiations aimed at turning the Western Hemisphere into the world's largest free-trade zone, trade experts said Wednesday.

Cricket:Mahela makes it doubleSouth Africa put up a determined effort after Mahela Jayawardene carried Sri Lanka to a big first innings total on the second day of the first Test on Thursday.

Football:BU, Russel renew rivalryPremier League champions Bro-thers Union will take on their bridesmaid Shei-kh Russel Krira Chakra in the opening third leg match of Nitol-Tata National Football League at the local stadium here today.

Cricket:Ajit replaces ZaheerSeamer Ajit Agarkar was on Thursday recalled to the Indian team for the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in England after left-armer Zaheer Khan was declared unfit with a leg injury.

Cricket:BCCI against any exhibition matchWhile the prospect of an Indo-Pak XI taking on a Rest of the World XI might be a mouthwatering prospect for cricket fans and corporates, it may never take off.

Cricket:Shahriar Nafees' ton in drawn gameOpener Shahriar Nafees Ahmed cracked an unbeaten 116 as the touring Bangladesh Under-19 team warmed up for the second Test with a draw against Development of Excellence XI on Wednesday in a three-daymatch

Hockey:Faridpur reach super leagueFaridpur became the final team to earn a place in the super league of ANAS Group National Hockey Championship with a 3-0 victory over Bangladesh Air Force at Maulana Bhasani National Stadium yesterday.

The organisation of former footballers will play three exhibition matches.

Tennis:Winning return for SharapovaWimbledon champion Maria Sharapova had little difficulty in her first match at the 1.3-million-dollar Montreal Cup on Wednesday, downing Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico 6-1, 6-4.

Cricket:England name side todayChampions Trophy hosts England will on Friday announce their 14-man squad for the September one-day tournament.

Athletics:Security breached?Amid security concerns ahead of next week's Athens Olympic Games, an Aus-tralian newspaper reported Thursday its photographers easily avoided security arrangements to take what it claimed were the first

Golf:Bangladesh 3rd in SAARC GolfBangladesh finished second runner up in the Sixth SAARC Golf Championship held in Lahore, Pakistan recently.

Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in stroke play to secure the third position.

Tennis:A women's tennis crisis?The Athens Olympics grappled with its first sporting controversy on Thursday when women tennis players threatened to boycott next week's Games if two German players were not cleared to play.

Football:Just in caseAuthorities are taking no chance that the grudge Asian Cup final between China and Japan will turn nasty, drafting in more than 1,000 extra police to keep order.

Football:Another pillar fallsFrench defender Bixente Lizarazu on Thursday announced his retirement from international football after a glittering career that saw him pick up winners medals at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

Football:Zidane takes timeZinedine Zidane said he needs time to reflect on his international future after meeting new France coach Raymond Domenech here on Wednesday.

Football:Lyon's four in a row missionThree-time champions Lyon set out in search of a place in the select club of French teams who have won the league title four consecutive times on Friday.

Football:Haan impressedChina coach Arie Haan, who will lead the side into Saturday's Asian Cup final against Japan, said the high level of play seen at the tournament showed that Asian football was quickly improving.

Football:Behave please!China's foreign ministry and its football association Thursday told fans to behave at the Asian Cup final while criticising the Japanese media for inflaming animosity.

The legacy lives on...Tagore's childhood in Jorashako (a locality of Kolkata) was culturally very rich. The environment was enlivened with the performances of renowned maestros and talented jatra artistes.

Govt to make BRTC more service-orientedThe government is trying to make Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) more service-oriented, said Communications Minister Nazmul Huda at a roundtable yesterday.

Independent EC a must for fair electionAn independent election commission (EC) and voter identity card are the two pre-requisites for a free and fair election, said a report of the Democracywatch yesterday.

Swiss experts evaluating flood damageExperts from Switzerland are evaluating the damage caused by floods and will consider providing an additional Tk 2.25 crore for the rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Editorial:Rehabilitation tasksThe losses that the country has incurred due to the floods have been estimated to be a staggering Tk 30 to 40 thousand crore.

Editorial:WTO meet on textile crisisWith just about five months to go before the MFA is replaced by WTO open trading rules, the LDCs in the apparel business find themselves teetering at the edge of a survival struggle.

US Democratic Convention and election trailThe 4-day democratic Convention ended in Boston on 29 July with the fanfare and hullabaloo that are generally associated with the Conventions of the two major political parties of the USA.

The power of ideasNothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. These are not my words, but the words of wisdom from profound minds. The world is shaped by thoughts and thoughts are when ideas bloom like flowers.

Woes of tax-payersI sent my driver to collect my TIN certificate yesterday - the clerk at the desk refused to receive the application unless he was paid Tk.1,000 . The clerk was downright rude and there was almost a fist-fight.

Turn to Sri LankaI agree with many about our getting the Test status well before we were ready--thanks to the Asian influence in ICC and kind (but not necessarily wise) support from the other fellow Asian Test playing

Due recognitionProfessor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, on the occasion of his receiving a prestigious award, has been rightly eulogised by your staff correspondent in his report .

Poor cricketBefore the start of the Asian Cup cricket tournament, we expected from our boys that at least they would put up a good fight.

Slavery!On July 27, Mr. Mohaiemen wrote a lot about irreverent things concerning the real facts of the so called slavery in the Arab world. He concluded by giving an unusual example.

Musharraf keeps option open over Iraq troopsPresident Pervez Musharraf left open the possibility of sending Pakistani troops to Iraq in the future, telling a newspaper yesterday that it would be "very undiplomatic" to rule it for good.

Curfew clamped as Manipur erupts againManipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, on his return from New Delhi, was greeted today with a series of agitation as students and protestors courted arrest at several places in Imphal East and West

US embassy in Delhi shuts servicesThe US embassy in New Delhi has shut down select departments, including visa immigration and library services yesterday due to security concerns, a TV report said.

Firefighters join troopsThe death toll from monsoon rains in India hit nearly 880 yesterday as firefighters were called in to join soldiers rescuing people marooned by floods in the western state of Gujarat.

US can't give safety guarantee to Indians in IraqWith efforts to secure release of three abducted Indians in Iraq still on, the US ha{ said it cannot guarantee the sifety of Indian and other South Asian workers against terrorists attack in the troubled

Yemen army attack on rebels: 42 killedAbout 42 people were killed and 80 wounded in 24 hours as army forces battled their way thro}gh a key stronghold of a rebel Muslim preacher in northwest Yemen, military sources said yesterday.

9 dead in riding school fire in FranceSeven teenagers and two adults were believed to have died yesterday when a fire swept through a riding school in the Savoie department of southeast France overnight, police said.